Capello, sixty years of innovation
The year 2025 marks the 60th anniversary of the historic Cuneo-based company that has established itself on global markets due to its ability to create highly innovative technologies for harvesting cereals, such as headers and stalk crushers
In 1965, the brothers Renato and Francesco Capello opened a small agricultural machinery repair shop in Verzuolo. In the mid-1970s they moved to Borgo Gesso, a village near Cuneo, and staarted to specialize in the construction of headers for harvesting corn, identifying the multiple possibilities for technological and commercial development this product had to offer. The company grew and immediately began to show a dual nature, reflecting the duality of the Capello brothers: on the one hand, it became noted for its practical ability and technical experience and, on the other hand, its intuitive searching out of new markets, which translated into a drive to establish commercial relationships outside of Italy.
Export driven development. At a time when most companies viewed the domestic market as their main objective, the company's strategy was already directed towards exports. Overcoming logistical and linguistic difficulties, the Capello brothers explored the main European markets (France, Greece, Spain and Germany) and achieved encouraging results when they began exporting to these countries in 1977. The 1980s and 1990s saw technological innovations of great importance for Capello and across the entire sector, such as the first folding heads, which facilitated road circulation, and the horizontal stalk shredder, which reduced the time needed to prepare the land after harvesting.
On the commercial front, the brand pushed onwards with internationalization and, in 1996, the Cuneo-based company signed an exclusive supply contract for corn headers for the US and Canadian markets with Claas-CAT. Agreements of this kind attest to the high organizational and productive level achieved by the company, as well as its ability to establish significant and long-lasting collaborative relationships with important global players. As this technical-commercial evolution was taking place, the brand took over the facilities of the former Celdit cellulose factory, which provided spaces suitable for the new production needs and which would become the present production site, strategically located just outside the gates of the city of Cuneo. Meanwhile, Elio, Alberto and Andrea Capello, sons of the founders, maintained family continuity by taking on managerial roles as the heads of various departments in the company. The past few years have seen a profound transformation in production processes, definitively staking out Capello's claim on global markets. This internationalization has been bolstered by the opening of branch companies in Europe, North America and Asia, with the aim of establishing direct relationships with industry stakeholders. New products are being designed, built and marketed and offer an increasingly complete range in the field of cereal harvesting.
By the numbers. The success of the Capello brand has also been due to its ability to build a strong corporate identity on the blending of tradition and modernity. The symbol of this identity is the company's new managerial offices built at the entrance to Cuneo. The repurposed building is located next to the production facilities, and the modern look of the hisotrical structure reflects the entrepreneurial desire to innovate while remaining aware of the path taken. Capello currently employs around 200 people at its Cuneo production site, has 10 regional sales directors worldwide, 12 after-sales managers and 168 suppliers who generate a satellite workforce of 600 people. The company manages over 75,000 internal codes that generate 21,000 spare parts codes. Overall, in various configurations, it produces 235 different models of headers for harvesting cereals.
The business center was inaugurated together with the top management of FederUnacoma
On 4 and 5 April, to celebrate its 60 years in business, Capello once again got all dressed up to celebrate the milestone with two evenings dedicated to long-time customers, international and national distributors and lengthy collaborators of the Cuneo company in its renovated headquarters. April 4 saw the ribbon cutting ceremony of the new business center with Mariateresa Maschio, president of FederUnacoma, as the guest of honor.
The building has been designed to be a zero-impact site, making use of all construction, system, safety, efficiency and emissions measurement best practices. The facility is a business card, not just for the company, but also for the city of Cuneo. Visitors are welcomed by a futuristic building that stands as an emblem of the industriousness and creative capabilities of the Granda province in the world.
